The only real streets emergency in the Capital City is the mayor’s failure to fulfill her 2016 promises

We don't need it do we?

It's fake. That's what it be to 'ya, dig me?

Don't believe the hype.

-- Public Enemy 

BY RICHARD JOHNSON

What happened to all that bluster about road repair in 2016? Catering to the masses with and "needs beat the wants" campaigning? (In 2019, it appears, Madame Mayor, that you are realtor of the year instead of that county commissioner.) 

What happened to this plan?

“With the fifth-penny sales tax no longer able to keep up with the cost of road maintenance," the mayor suggested "drawing

This pothole sits in front of City Hall.

on the city’s share of the state’s gas tax and mineral royalties to make up the deficit.”  

Was this before you decided to go toe-to-toe with the governor? 

Three years have passed, and nothing has changed. Same ole rhetoric with a different face.

Maybe I should’ve supported a city administrator.

Back in 2016, the public works crew stated:

“Potholes only appear when a road is already past a sort of ‘point of no return,’ where routine maintenance can no longer preserve its structure.”

What happened to the pavement condition index, which measures the overall quality of Cheyenne’s streets on a scale from 1 to 100? Do these numbers look familiar? They were published in 2016:

“Fifteen percent of our roads are already backlogged, meaning they’re (past that point and) at the full reconstruct stage, and if I were to fix them all, it would cost $80 million to $90 million.”  

After all, the honeymoon con to add roads to the sixth penny sales tax ballot seems to have generated … what? I’m waiting. That’s right, nothing. 

Who needs a turf facility or gymnastic complex for people to enjoy? A children’s museum vs. a pothole. No wonder Cheyenne is called “The Tragic City of the Plains.”

Now we just have a memo stating emergency funds are to be used to fix Cheyenne's streets:

OFFICE OF THE MAYOR

2101 0'NEIL AVENUE, SUITE 310

CHEYENNE WY 82001

MEMORANDUM

TO: Purchasing Division

DATE: August 9, 2019

REFERENCE: Emergency Procurement

In accordance with the Purchasing Policy and Procedures Manual Part 11.8, Emergency Procurement, I have deemed it essential to procure services for the City of Cheyenne for street patching. This emergency exists due to an unusually wet spring season resulting in a significantly higher number of potholes throughout the City. 

The Street & Alley Division is short-handed after several employees resigned/retired, and they have been unable to hire qualified replacements due to the extremely low unemployment rate. In order to prevent an even worse follow-on winter and spring pothole season, the Engineering Department recommends the City acquire street patching services from a private contractor to be completed not later than November 1, 2019. 

The bid process does not provide a normal acquisition process that will meet this timeline. The only avenue for procuring these services is under the Emergency Procurement procedures. 

This unexpected situation could not have been foreseen as unusual weather and a shortage of personnel created the need for street patching to be completed in this calendar year. The Engineering Department will ensure adequate competition for this project by soliciting quotes from at least three qualified contractors. 

The budget for this project is $250,000 and will come from 2015-2018 1% Sales Tax Funds.

Marian J. Orr

Mayor

City of Cheyenne

I haven’t seen this kind of money play since that 10-year-old tried to convince me that Mediterranean Avenue had the same value as Boardwalk. 

It’s funny that the mayor can quote the purchasing policy for emergency endeavors but can't reference policy when accepting gifts of Dodge trucks. It’s a good thing the commissioners control the National Emergency purse strings. We’ve already seen what happens when a tornado siren goes off or a tree branch falls in the road. Who has ever heard of an emergency pothole? 

Hell, even Day Weather Meteorology warned it was going to be a rough winter in December 2018. You know, the time when all departments get together to discuss budgets. Why are we waiting until September to address this? 

The pothole in front of City hall is a constant reminder things aren’t being addressed. It’s eating its second cone. Does someone need to paint a penis around it to get it fixed? 

It’s no wonder local bands are asking me to pull permits to have pothole recognition parties. Some of Cheyenne's potholes should be placed on the historic preservation registry since they've been around for three mayoral runs now.

Oh yeah, and when it comes to staffing, there are more than street holes to fill due to management inadequacies. Five openings that pay $15.50 per hour? I can make that at Chick-fil-A and don’t have to be splattered with hot mix on black top.  

It’s awesome how the mayor calls out council members for inefficiency like they are Zip Recruiter. It’s called the mayor’s budget, and the mayor can manage that budget as she sees fit. Perhaps if recruiting workers is a problem, we could invest in better materials or actually engage a preventive road maintenance plan?

What do the people have to say about road repair? Maybe their opinion matters more to you. After all, isn’t that what social media is about?

n "Swiss cheese has less holes than Cheyenne roads."

n "The roads are simply awful ... the dirt road I live on is better than Pershing and 20^th."

Here is what circulating through the rumor mill these days:

1 – Orr gets booed and yelled at during every CFD parade about roads and how much people hate her. Calls staff meeting informs them that we are

using $250,000 of “emergency money” to fix roads and potholes. (Without council’s approval).

2 – Orr's appointed chief engineer is quitting. She says she is taking all her sick leave and when it is up, she is not coming back. Says her mom is ill, but staff believes she’s quitting before she is made the scapegoat.

3 – The Public Works director never implemented a schedule to repair streets and when a staff engineer submitted one, Orr rejected it and gave a list of streets she wanted done (it was assumed the list was streets in front of friends’ houses).

4 – Orr puts a new staff member in charge of the $10 million dollar Christiansen Street project. He had never run a small project let alone one as big as the Christiansen job. Now the dirt work company has walked off the job, and only a few guys are today scraping concrete forms. Two cranes and all the equipment are just sitting there, doing nothing.

5 – Orr plans on suing the engineer of record for the cost at the Commons Park project and is considering also going after other parties for their involvement. 

At least I don’t get emails like this anymore:

Councilmen: 

            This morning’s public call-out on KGAB by (Council President Rocky) Case regarding the street work I have authorized within my scope as mayor is now yet another example of what appears to be a lack of understanding of the form of government our city operates.  

If council wants to change that form of government to administrator/manager, I would support your efforts to place it on the ballot once again for the voters to decide.  

I act within state statute and city code. If there are those who don’t like it, change it, but attack the system we operate under, not the elected official carrying out the duties elected by the city to perform. 

I informed council of my decision to authorize the request by both public works and engineering during the now bi-monthly meeting with council and staff, and reported on by Jennifer to the entirety of council. 

Respectfully, 

Marian Orr, Mayor

City of Cheyenne

2101 O’Neil Ave Rm 310

Cheyenne, WY 82001

What it comes down to is: Don’t make a lot of promises you can’t keep. 

The mayor scored a win in 2016 with punch lines of the lowest common denominator and people fell for it. Guess she ran on Cheyenne roads and rolled her ankle. 

I can’t even make this stuff up. 

The Street and Alley department has urine tests for their jobs. Maybe the mayor should have to take a urine test too?

Richard Johnson is a former member of the Cheyenne City Council from Ward 3 on the east side.